Orb Rowden

Orbra “Orb” Carroll Rowden was born in Brownfield, TX on July 3, 1932 to Azrue (Pickett) and Johnnie Carroll Rowden. He left this earth to be with his saviour as he was surrounded by his children on Sunday January 5, 2020 at the age of 87.

Orb was raised in a farming community in Brownfield with his parents and two brothers, Morris Eugene “Gene” and Lee Dale Rowden. Their lives were filled with love, hard work, the right amount of discipline and a good supply of mischief, as only 3 brothers can create. Orb’s mother was a homemaker known for her famous yeast rolls and her ability to make a dress shirt from a feed sack that would rival the work of a master tailor. Orb’s father was a well-respected cotton gin manger.

Orb married the love of his life, Joe Anna Cook (Jody) on December 27, 1957. Together, they had three children, Kelly, Dana and Mark. They were married for almost 51 years, until Jody’s death on October 19, 2008.

Orb started his adult life by enlisting with the U.S. Air Force where he served as an aircraft maintenance instructor from 1952-1956. He returned to Brownfield where he worked at the Brownfield News as assistant advertising manager. He and Jody then moved to Lovington, NM where he worked for a newspaper as a printer, pressman and then advertising manager. He then moved his young family to Pecos, TX to work for the Pecos Enterprise as advertising manager and was quickly promoted to Acting Publisher of the paper. In 1971 Orb, Jody and their 3 children moved to Pennsylvania where they purchased an office supply and print shop. Missing their Texas friends and family, they sold the print shop in January of 1976 and purchased Comanche Electric, an electrical contracting company in Ft Stockton, TX. Orb worked as a master electrician in Ft. Stockton until his 80th birthday in July 2012.

Orb also served his community as a loyal member of the Pecos Lions Club, the Pecos Elks Lodge, the Ft. Stockton Lions Club and the Ft. Stockton Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Orb was an honest, selfless man with a great sense of humor who always put his family, friends and community first. He loved working with and creating things with wood. He loved metal detecting, camping, wilderness hiking, reading about history, watching westerns, the Dallas Cowboys and ice cream.

He is survived by two brothers; Gene of San Angelo, TX and Lee Dale of Winnsboro, TX, three children; Kelly Dale Rowden of Gardendale, TX, Dana Rowden Nance of Houston, TX, Mark Damon Rowden and wife Cindy of Forney, TX and 7 grandchildren including Tonya Pipkin, Kelly Lee Rowden, Aaron Rowden, Court Nance, Taylor Nance, Chrystopher Rowden and Jonathyn Rowden, as well as 6 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Joe Anna (Jody) Cook Rowden; his father, Johnnie Carroll Rowden and his mother, Azrue Rowden.

Memorial services will be held on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at Anderson-Clayton-Gonzalez Funeral home. 1111 Military Pkwy, Mesquite, TX 75149. Family will be receiving guests from 10-11am. Memorial service from 11a-12n. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Orb’s name to the Hydrocephalus Association at www.hydroassoc.org.

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